I’m a startup enthusiast passionate about people, product, and philanthropy.

I’m the founder of Life Changing Labs, a non-profit summer incubator and mentorship network for Cornell entrepreneurs, and head instructor at Life Changing Summer, a program teaching entrepreneurship and programming to high school students from across the world. I also work at Entrepreneurship at Cornell and serve on the Advisory Council. Previously, I managed the Cornell University eLab accelerator as its first Assistant Director.

Taking everything I’ve learned from these experiences, I currently lead StartupTree as its CEO to help fuel the growth of university entrepreneurship globally. My first venture was a philanthropic apparel brand, Life Changing Apparel, which established its own non-profit arm, Life Changing Foundation, in Haiti.

I was recently named the inaugural Director of eHub, Cornell’s newly established entrepreneurship space for students, faculty, and staff, with 15,000 square feet of facilities at two locations.

I’ve been involved with a number of startups as co-founder, operator, or primary advisor, and mentored hundreds of students over the past few years. To date, these early stage ventures have collectively raised millions in financing and reached well over a million dollars run rate. The companies are working with some of the biggest publishers, supporting top universities as clients, shipping orders to customers in over 370 cities in 40+ countries, seeking to provide 100x faster Internet with dependable customer service, and more.

I’m grateful to everyone who has supported me throughout the way and look forward to the big things that lie ahead on this unpredictable, but fulfilling, journey.

Specialties
product | user experience | strategy | marketing |
recruitment & team building | branding | ideation |
identifying opportunities | community building

Speaking

I’ve had the honor of guest speaking at institutions across the country including University of Washington, Tufts University, Cornell University, Penn State University, Wake Forest University, and many others.

I have also been invited to speak at the International Students Union Conference, Cornell Economics Society, Cornell International Health Conference, Cornell Maker Faire, and hosted fireside chats with many notable entrepreneurs.

In addition, I have served as a panelist for the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers, lead mentor and advisor for Life Changing Make-a-thon, moderator for the Cornell University Social Impact Conference, and judge for several Cornell competitions and classes including the “Foundations of Entrepreneurship” course.

And this is why I do what I do:

“Peter was the first believer in me.” – Forbes 30 Under 30 Founder

“I am very grateful that I got the chance to meet with you and be inspired to do something that will be valuable to wellness professionals one day! – Bob Z.

I’m always open to connecting with other determined individuals – especially those who love creating and developing things from scratch, making big visions come to life.

peter (at) cortle.com